Starlight
by unset city
Summary: 18 year old Evie Hammond is a prodigy. She has high expectations to fulfill, and is more than ready to do them...Until she is whisked away to Neverland. Can this level headed girl open her heart to fantasy? In Neverland, anything's possible...
1. Legend

_Chapter One: Legend_

_By: CrazyCat99_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Peter Pan, for he and all the others are from the marvelous mind of JM Barrie. I just own Evie, Jake, Lily and their family._

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Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there lived a girl pressured by life. In her world, there was no such thing as stopping, pausing, quitting. Relaxing was rare, and she had never truly ever done it.

Her life was routine, her life was on schedule, and her life was constant. No breaks, no adventures, no mischief…In all of her 18 years of life, she did not have that, and she was convinced she never would. Her life was the same, ordinary, a schedule…

Until that one day. It had seemed like a charming place, that little bookstore on the corner. And if there was one thing Evie Hammond liked to do during those rare occasions she did get a chance to relax, it was reading.

And so she had gone there, into that little tiny bookstore, and in that little space she had hurriedly scanned the books, most of them titles that she had never heard of, and looked and looked and looked until one title in particular caught her eye.

_Peter Pan_. She was one who always loved a good fantasy, a good book that took her away from the confines of her busy life. And so she had bought it, hoping to use it as a means for an adventure to ease her overworked mind…

Little did she know just what that adventure would be like.

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She arrived home promptly as the bells of the grandfather clocked chimed six 'o clock, her body drained from the ballet class she had arrived home from, and with a sigh unwound her scarf from around her neck. It would be snowing soon, and she knew her father was scrambling around to find wood to use to make a fire. In these times, wood could be frighteningly scarce.

She passed her brother Jake on her way up the stairs, hurrying past her in tears in search of their mother, who Evie had no doubt was in the sitting room knitting like usual. Evie did not think as to why her little brother was crying; she had no doubt that it was just Lily picking on him again, as she was prone to do. After all, for being an eight year old Jake was uncharacteristically small still, having been born with what doctors referred to as 'Down's Syndrome.' To thirteen year old Lily, it only made him a freak and an embarrassment.

When she opened the door to her room she was not at all surprised Lily was in there, lying on her bed with a smug smirk on her countenance. As usual Evie ignored her younger sister, dropping her bag at the foot of her bed and extracting her school books, waiting for Lily to inevitably start trying to involve her in a conversation. Evie was slipping into the seat at her desk when it began.

"Want to know what happened to me today sister?" Lily asked, and Evie could feel her sister's green eyes burning into her back.

When Evie did not respond, simply drew a piece of paper out and opened her aged textbook, Lily took it as her sign to continue.

"Davis and I snuck out to go down to the pond behind the school; you know, the place where they say all those children disappear at? Maybe we should take Jake there" Lily laughed to herself, oblivious to the fact that her sister did not laugh with her. "Anyway, it's a right nasty place, it is, with all those weeds and toads…But I went there, without hardly any fuss, and stood in the stop Alice Pucker was said to have disappeared, and you know what? I didn't! Even though Davis was being a bloody nuisance and kept trying to scare me; honestly, if that boy annoys me one more time I'll-"

"Lily, I think mother wanted to talk to you." Evie cut her off, beginning to write her essay on the beginnings of London.

"Oh, she did? Well, she could have said something; I've been home for bloody two hours!" Lily grumbled, pushing herself off the bed to stand and saunter over to the door.

Evie listened to the rustle of her sister's skirts moving with a small, hidden smirk on her face. Lily really was too gullible some times; if her sister were a nicer person, she would actually take pity on her.

"I guess I'll see you in an hour or so for dinner then" Lily said, and absently Evie nodded in response, holding her breath until she heard the door close with a snap before releasing it all in a gush. She really could not help but really hate Lily sometimes for how mean and rude she was; she was under the impression that the word revolved around her, and thought it was Evie's obligation to listen. Well, Evie did listen to her—or at least Lily thought she did. In truth she just zoned her out, her voice nothing but a shrill whining in the back of Evie's head as she completed her homework, most of it involving history of some sort tonight.

She had lessons in the morning, she remembered with a sigh as she finished another paragraph, she could not be late again. Her father was paying extra money to ensure that his daughter became the proper lady, and Evie was determined to prove that he had put that money to good use. She was of marriage age now, and her parents were determined to get her settled and on her own; they simply could not afford to take care of her much longer, and although she was still in school, she would be graduating within the next few weeks.

Her family was ardent on finding her a husband almost immediately, and although she did not protest, truth be told many of the men that had tried to court her had not been her type. Of course she had not openly told them no, but she, well, _persuaded_ them that she was a bad match. She was not really the good girl that she was made out to be… But of course, the failed courtships led to panic and chaos with her family, and immediately they had scrambled to find someone else for her.

So far they had attempted to set her up with a Mr. Andrew Longshire from two neighborhoods over, who was her age and was planning on enlisting in the military. With WWII still in action, his enlisting meant certain death, and to start a family with a dead man was certain misfortune. But at this point, her parents were getting just desperate, and who was she to protest?

In truth, she did not mind Andrew; at least he was her type. And by her 'type' she meant wild, adventurous, and passionate—everything she lacked and kept refrained out in the open. She would not mind being his wife, but unfortunately her parents could not see past that military aspect. And so she was available again.

The thought of it sort of made her sick. A daughter just being ransomed off…But that was society now, with this war craze sweeping through it. Many whispered that soon they might all have to speak German, but no one said it aloud; Britain was still free, and that was all that mattered.

Unfortunately, while Britain may remain free, Evie was not. With a sigh she put the finishing touches to her essay, wondering what good it did her to even complete it. University for women was a rare thing still; if she went she could only really major in baking or any other home skill, and if there was one thing Evie was not it was homely. People thought—no, assumed was the better word—that she was, but in actuality she hated being indoors. Her room often felt too small for her, but what was she to do about it? No where to run too…

She had just finished all of her homework, having only halfheartedly completed it, when the door to her room was flung open, and a tiny body flew in at her.

"Evie!" Jake cried as he launched himself in her arms, and grunting a little she managed to catch him and pull him up to sit on her lap. Mirroring his happy smile she looked down at him, running a hand through his disheveled black hair and tousling it even more.

"Hey Jake sweetie, how are you?" she sweetly asked, giggling slightly when the boy practically bounced off her laugh in his excitement.

"Oh Evie, you'll never guess what happened! I lost my first tooth today!" he exclaimed proudly, opening his mouth to reveal the gap between his two front teeth to her as she appropriately gasped in delight.

"Oh Jake, that's excellent! Now you'll be visited by the tooth fairy!"

"I know, I know! And she'll give me money, right? Didn't you tell me that?"

"Of course I did Jake, and you know she will! After all, you're far from a naughty boy!"

Her heart melted when he beamed up at her, blushing slightly at the compliment. Jake was not one to be used to compliments, considering his tiny appearance and constant sickliness. Only Evie really complimented him, and it made him love her all the more for it.

"Evie, why do you have to leave so much?" the boy quietly asked, his excitement fading as he leaned against her shoulder, his tiny form relaxing easily into hers as she reached up to stroke his hair gently.

"Because Jake, it's my responsibility…You'll understand someday…"

"No," he shook his head rapidly, "No I won't! I miss you all the time, and I'm always so alone…Won't you stay with me forever?"

Evie bit her lip, closing her eyes as a pang went through her heart. He sounded so sad…

"Jake," she sighed, " You know I wish I could but I have responsibilities now…I'm a grown up now…"

"I really wish you weren't" the boy groused, clinging to her tighter. "I don't get why people have to grow up…"

"People have to grow up because they don't have a choice, I suppose. You'll be a grown up too one day, just like me."

"Nuh-huh!" he shook his head again, moving back to stare up at her with wide blue eyes burning in foolish determination. "I'll never grow up, cuz I'm not like you! I don't have…Don't have _res-pond-obil-ties!_" She giggled slightly again at his attempt to say the adult word, and held him closer to her chest so that she could bury her face in his hair.

"No, not yet you don't, but you will. Everyone gets responsibilities; there's no way to avoid them."

"Well…What if you go someone where else? Some where far from here?"

"There's no land that has no responsibilities, dearest; that's all a fairy tale."

"No it isn't! It exists, I've been there!" Evie quirked a brow at her little brother, who was now staring up at her excitedly again.

"Oh really? And what's this place called?" she inquired half heartedly, taking it all in as a childish fantasy.

"Why, it's called Neverland of course! And it's the most adventurous, exciting, beautiful place I've ever been too!" her brother chirped in a breathless voice, and Evie blinked at him, skeptical.

"Really?" she drawled, deciding to just go along and sate her brother's appetite for fantasy. "And when did you go there?"

"Oh, I think it was about a week ago. I don't know, but I've been there sis, I've been there!"

"And how did you get there exactly?" she asked, leaning back in her chair as he repositioned himself on her lap. "

"I flew there using pixie dust and, what was it? Oh yes, happy thoughts!" he grinned, exposing his mouth with the missing tooth in it, making him appear all the more adorable. Unable to resist she reached out to pull him into a hug again, running her hands back through his dark locks.

"You should have seen it sis, it was amazing! Oh, I wish you could come…" the boy sighed wistfully against her collarbone, and Evie held him tighter.

"And why can't I?" she quietly asked, " Why can't I fly away with you? It certainly sounds appealing!"

"Because, um…Because I doubt Peter will let you. I mean, not only are you a girl, but you're an adult now! Peter doesn't like adults…" was the muffled response as he buried his face into her shoulder.

"Oh? Whose this Peter fellow? Is he a friend of yours?"

"Uh, yes, I suppose he could be my friend, though he's bloody wicked sometimes. Knows how to beat anything…"

"Anything?" she encouraged, and Jake picked his head up off her shoulder to gaze at her with gleaming eyes.

"Yeah, anything! Last time, he killed a wild boar right in front of me!"

Evie frowned, not liking the violence that seemed to be going through her little brother's head. Peter obviously had to be his imaginary friend, but did he have to be so, well, aggressive? Her brother was such a sweet boy; could he possibly have a hidden blood lust somewhere inside his tiny body? She hoped to god that he didn't…

"Did you help slay this wild boar Jake?" she asked, smoothing the hair back from his brow.

"Oh no, not me. I'm too tiny you see, and Peter says that I'd be bad with a blade."

"A blade?" she gasped, stricken, "What kind of blade?"

"Oh, I don't know, I think he used a dagger. He's right good with them you see, can take anything down!"

"Yes but still, a blade! Jake…I'm not sure you should be seeing this Peter anymore, not if he's making you use weapons. What will mother and father think?"

"They won't ever know of it!" Jake suddenly looked at her frantically, grabbing onto the front of her white dress almost desperately. "You won't tell, will you Evie? If you do, Peter will never come back!"

"I must say that that might be a good thing" she replied, eyeing her brother's stricken face wearily. "This Peter sounds violent…"

"No, no he's not! He's just childish, like me! Once you meet him, I'm sure you'll understand!"

"Oh? And just how am I supposed to meet him?" Evie asked, still dubious. Why was her brother talking about this boy as though he existed? He was far too old to be having imaginary friends, but then again, he was an awfully lonely child; perhaps this Peter had been fabricated from his own loneliness, made from his despair? The Peter character certainly was dark enough…

"Uh…" Jake pulled back away from her to think, screwing his eyes and chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip. Evie watched him in amusement, resisting the urge to crush him to her again because he was just so darn adorable.

She tried not to smile as his eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, and he began to wiggle excitedly in her lap again in glee. "I have an idea!" he announced imperiously, as though she had not already known that he did.

"Really, what?" she obliged him, and laughed at the way he grinned happily at her.

"The next time Peter comes, I'll wake you up so that you can see him! I'm sure he won't mind meeting you; he just won't like you."

She scoffed a little at that, furrowed her brow. "He won't like me? Why ever not?"

"Because sis, you're an adult now, and if there's one thing Peter Pan hates, it's adults."

Evie felt her face pale at that name. "Wait, Jake, what was his name? His whole name?"

"What? Oh," Jake blinked at her, "Peter Pan, why?"

Evie felt her jaw slacken at the name, her mind thinking back to the leather bound book she had only just purchased. Peter Pan…She did not know how Jake could have known of it, but did not consider it to be a coincidence of any kind. Perhaps Jake had one day heard about it at school, and the name had stuck with him? She refused to believe that it was anything else.

And so she covered her expression of surprise and replaced it with one of sympathetic kindness, believing that her brother was in fact inflicted with life-like daydreams and fantasies that plagued his dreams and had managed to cross into his conscious psyche.

"Oh Jake, that's just a silly old story!" she laughed lightly, hoping to pull him away from the edge of lunacy that he teetered on.

He pouted adorably at her, taking offence at her lack of belief. "Nuh-huh, he's real, I saw him!"

"Dearest, I'm sure you just imagined him" she tried, "He exists only in fiction. Why, just today I bought a book with him in it!"

"A book…? No, Peter can't be in a book; he lives in Neverland with the fairies and the lost boys, and the pirates-"

"Jake dear, I'm sure you just dreamed this all up. I have not yet read the book, but I'm sure it's nothing like that!"

"B-But Evie, it was so _real_, and I…I can clearly remember flying…"

"Jake," she firmed her tone, pulling back away from him to look him straight in the eye. "It's all nonsense, all of it. Now I want you to stop talking about this; it is frightening me."

"Evie no, it's not suppose to frighten you, it's supposed too-"

"Jacob Hammond, stop this right now! What will mother and father think if they hear you saying such things? Flying and fairies and such aren't real!" Evie exclaimed, giving her little brother a slight shake to emphasize her point.

She sighed in slight annoyance when she noticed his bottom lip start to tremble, realizing that yelling at him had hurt his sensitive heart and brought him close to tears. Pulling his shaking form back into her, she gently started shushing him as she rubbed his back in soothing circles.

"Shh, calm down now love, I did not meant o be so harsh, I'm just worried. This Peter pan seems like a villainous fellow…"

"Oh no Evie!" Jake gasped, drawing back to look up at her aghast. "Peter's wonderful, and he could never be evil! He beats up the pirates and-"

"Can we talk about something else dear?" Evie cut him off, not wishing to hear anymore of his slightly disturbing childish ramblings.

He seemed slightly hurt at being told off the subject, but much to her relief he obliged, beginning to tell her about his day so that soon the whole Peter pan mishap was all but forgotten.

He was in the midst of telling her about a new teacher at school when the door suddenly opened and Lily entered, a scowl forming on her face when she spotted Jake in Evie's lap.

"Hey twerp, mother says its bath time," she told him, "So stop your prattling and get moving!"

It was with reluctance that Jake left her lap, shooting a mournful look over his shoulder at his elder sister before following Lily to the door, stopping at it to turn back and give Evie one last smile that she wholeheartedly returned.

"Can I come talk to you again after my bath?" he asked almost shyly as Lily tried to usher him out the door and Evie smiled and nodded in response.

"You can come see me anytime dear."

She giggled once more at the bright grin and wave he gave her before Lily yanked him out, the door slamming shut behind him to leave Evie alone again with her work and exhaustion. She sighed, slumping down in her chair as she flicked a pencil away from her, glaring with disgust down at the finished paper before her. All this work for what? What did she get from it? Nothing but headache, a lousy, aching headache.

Heaving another sigh she stood on her tired feet, wearily walking over to her window to peer out. She did not have view of anything; the solid brick wall from the building next to hers, grimy and a faded red now from years of weather wear, was all that her window revealed. But if she tilted her head up, pressed her forehead against the cool glass and lifted her eyes to the sky, she could see some stars, those tiny little pricks of light that bathed her in the faintest of white. She stared up at them now almost dreamily, for a moment losing herself in the stars, in her wishes. What she would not give to just fly away sometimes, to soar up to those stars…

But no, she could never think like that. She had to keep her feet planted firmly on the ground, keep her mind realistic and level. There was no room for silly fantasies in her life, and those stars up there…Those stars were unreachable. She had no choice but to turn her back on them and go back over to her desk.

The bag that contained the books she had bought earlier was in front of her, and she stared at it, eyeing it almost curiously. She could not see the book, but she knew that it was in there—_Peter Pan_. It was just a silly book she had bought on a whim, yet still…She thought back to all that her bother had said and bit her lip. She told herself that she did not believe in fate, did not believe in coincidences, and yet…

She slowly drew it from her bag, the leather cover oddly warm beneath her fingertips as though thriving with life, with adventure waiting to be read. It made her heart skip a beat even as she told herself that it was childish, impractical. She would just read it, that was all, and discover things about this Peter Pan fellow herself. It looked like a good adventure…

The air seemed to thicken as she opened the worn cover, exposing the title page. There it was, two words so tiny yet powerful on the otherwise blank page. Peter Pan. She sucked in a breath and reached out to turn the brittle page, yellowed from years of sitting on a shelf waiting. Waiting for this moment, for…for her…

Chapter One, it read, and the air seemed to crackle around her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up, making her heart flutter. But she was determined to believe that it was nothing, just her fancy thoughts, and read the first paragraph.

_Once upon a time there existed a girl, a seemingly average girl with too much potential and too little fun. This girl secretly yearned for an adventure beyond imagination, desired to be in a place far from society, a place known simply as Neverland, her home, her soul, her…heart. And if it was adventure she craved, then it was adventure that she would soon get…_

She was shivering when she finished reading it, this first page, her eyes closing as she tried to regain some sense. What was--?

And then, when she opened her eyes again, it was there, a light as bright as the stars burning in the middle of the book, entrancing her, shocking her, making her heart twirl and leap with fright and delight in turns. She went to drop the book, but found that she could not, the warmth it suddenly emitted, warmth that had once been so discreet flaring until it licked up around her, caressing flames that did not damage but enticed, pulling her resisting body down towards that starlight positioned in the middle of the pages.

Evie could only shut her eyes and wish as the starlight crashed into her, feeling her body begin to fall as the light danced around her, through her, weaving through her limbs and her soul in leaps and bounds.

And she was falling and falling and falling…

The light burning and burning and burning…

Until, with a resounding snap the book was closed, and with it her consciousness.

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_So, what did you think? I'm sorry if I made Lily sound mean, I needed at least some type of close villain! And as for Jake having Down's syndrome, that will come into play more later, along with the obvious affection he and Evie share. _

_But anyway, I'd love to hear what you think! Should I continue on with this story, which is really just a pet project for me? Please Review and let me know!_

_--Cat_


	2. Neverland

_Chapter 2: Neverland_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Peter Pan or anything related to him…except for Evie_

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She awoke to the feeling of sunlight on her face. Groaning a little under her breath she wearily opened her eyes, taking notice first to the pain in her back, the slight headache throbbing in her temple. It felt as though she had gotten hit by a train…or fallen out of the sky. Which, as she was about to find out, was disastrously true.

She knew that something was wrong before her eyes could even adjust, and she was sure that on some unconscious level she must have been aware of it too, for the feeling of trepidation was strong in her gut, her aching head and back, frightening her. She had expected almost anything…

Except the place she found herself. When she managed to tilt her head away from the sun's blinding rays—a clear indicator that something was wrong, since the sun had long since set in London—her first view of this alien world she found herself on was of a coconut tree. She furrowed her brows for a moment, gawking at it a little. A coconut tree…Somewhere tropical…

As though following her thoughts sudden sounds arose from the foliage that surrounded her, the screeching of tropical birds, the hooting of monkeys and, to her fear, the occasional roar of a lion. Indeed, Evie sat up to find herself in the center of a jungle, the sun beating down directly on her from the cloudless, crystal blue sky, the green brush around her waving languidly in greeting under the guidance of some gentle breeze. Immediately she felt faint again, the throbbing in her head increasing as she fell back down to lie again. She just could not understand—could not fathom how—why—

She reached out a shaky hand and touched the lush grass that was beneath her, the moist dirt, and brought it to her face to study it. It was painfully real, the grass like cool velvet on her fingers, the dirt like brown sugar. It made her want to laugh and scream at the same time, but she settled for just lying there prone, processing, computing—or at least trying too—like she was prone to do, like she was taught to do.

Ok, so she was in a jungle somewhere and…She glanced up and around her. Alone; she was alone. The thought made her shudder involuntarily. She tried to think back to her last memory before she had awoken to this…place, closing her eyes from the bright, cheery world around her to fold into herself, back into her thoughts—another tendency of hers.

She recalled Jake in detail, and felt a pang go though her heart. Jake…What would her little brother do without her? She had to get home, if not just for him. Without her she could only imagine what the bully Lily was doing to him…But now was certainly not the time to worry—not yet, at least.

She also remembered the conversation with Jake that she had. What had it been about again? Some dreams that he had had, a strange boy taking him away to some place…

What had it…? It hit her like a punch to the gut, and she inhaled sharply as she remembered it in one single moment of clarity.

_Peter Pan. _Jake had told her about Peter pan whisking him off to Neverland at night, and she had tried to make him believe by telling him about…about _the book! _

It all came back now, one terrifying scene in her mind. Opening that book, reading that beginning paragraph and then…and then there had been light, appearing almost heavenly, and it had grabbed her and pulled her down, down towards the book, the light, where she had fallen…To end up here. The color drained from her face and she was pretty sure her heart almost stopped. It was illogical but somehow, in someway, she was in the book _Peter Pan_. It was just…She didn't know how to handle it. As she raised herself up shakily to look around again she again took notice to how real everything was, and began panicking.

She was not one to believe in magic but, what other explanation was there, really? Unless she had fallen and hit her head… But no, that just didn't make sense; she clearly remembered the feeling of the leather book in her hands, and everything was far too vivid and realistic to all be a dream, a subconscious world of sorts. The book theory was her only option, and the panic inside of her rose even higher. If she was in a book, how the hell was she supposed to get home!?

She looked around her frantically, and saw nothing but trees. Should she call for help? She bit her lip; for some reason that seemed like a very bad idea. Maybe she should search for a body of water of some sorts or…She didn't know anymore. But she did know one thing—she had to get going _somewhere_. Evie was not one to be idle, especially under stressful situations, and this was _beyond_ stress!

She wished the stars were out; maybe then she could follow the North Star home. She almost laughed at herself at the thought. To follow a star…She considered it nonsense of course, rubbish. It was only tactical planning that would lead her home, and a cunning eye for danger. She had to always be vigilante…

How ironic it was then, that as soon as she thought of this, taking a step towards the trees, she was ambushed. Oh yeah, she was vigilante all right.

She barely had time to scream before she found herself pressed back into the ground, a jagged dagger pressed to her slender throat. She whimpered to herself before looking up at the man—no _boy_—currently pointing a weapon at her.

The boy seemed to be no more than Jake's age, perhaps a year or two older, and scowled down at her with big doe like brown eyes which, despite the situation, had her automatically melting inside. He wore the outfit of a buccaneer, the classic brown pants and white shirt that instantly had her thinking of Huck Finn. In fact, she wondered of that was this boy's name; she was all ready in one book, why not venture into another?

"This here's a lass!" the boy exclaimed, and from behind him she heard murmurings. So he wasn't alone? She managed to get a glimpse past him to see the other boys, roughly six of them, all appearing similar in their ragtag clothes and dirt smeared, gaunt, young faces. She blinked at them, startled, forgetting the boy currently threatening her life as she gasped in astonishment, making some of the children scowl at her.

"Yes, Nibs, but she's a grown up lady!" one of the boys replied, "And rude at that; look at her gawking at us!"

At that Evie promptly shut her mouth, swallowing hard and smiling tentatively at them. "Oh, um, I'm sorry, I just…Did not expect this…"

"How could you not expect this?" the one above her, Nibs, scowled, "Everyone knows of the Lost Boys, right gentlemen?"

The boys all cheered and woofed rebelliously, rather offensively, and Evie winced a little when she heard one of them exclaim, "Damn right!" Children, in her opinion, shouldn't be using such vulgar language! But she kept her mouth shut, wondering if she should elaborate on why she didn't know them as they all looked back at her, their cheering dying down.

"How do you not know of us lady?" one inquired, and she smiled again.

"I'll be happy to elaborate if you can get your friend to stop pressing that dagger to my throat; it's rather distracting you see…"

Nibs scowled darkly at her again but reluctantly drew his dagger back, keeping it at his side as he in the others watched her wearily as she sat up and cleared her throat nervously.

"Um…Well you see, the funny thing is…I just woke up here."

"Just woke up here?" one of the boys asked, turning to the tallest one next to him. "What do you say to that Slightly?"

"I say," the tallest—Slightly—snorted, "That that is cod wash! Only Peter brings visitors like you here lady; you can't just wake up in Neverland!"

"Neverland?" she squeaked in a faint voice, the mention of both it and Peter making her grow weak. So she was in the book… "Oh dear…"

They were all eyeing her in faint curiosity now, and Nibs, who still stood in front of her, lowered his dagger into a more relaxed position.

"Hey fellas," he said, "Do you think Peter maybe dropped her off here? You know, having not wanted her anymore?"

"I can see why!" Slightly chimed in, "Look at her, she's an adult! Adult's aren't allowed on this island!"

Evie tried not to look insulted from that. She wasn't _old_ or anything; Heck, she barely even was an adult by age standards!

The shortest and youngest of the boys took a step towards her, his big eyes smiling at her. "Well I think she's pretty. She reminds me of Wendy!"

Wendy? Evie raised her brows. Had another unfortunate girl been caught on this island too? The thought made her fell slightly better…but only slightly.

"Don't say such things Tootles! Wendy was much fairer and prettier, and a far better person! I mean, look at the girl's clothes!" one of the two twins piped up, and Evie followed her gaze down to her attire. She wore her floral skirt from school still, and the matching white blouse that had the first three buttons undone, revealing a lace camisole underneath. Crossing her arms defensively over her chest in an attempt to hide her outfit, she sent them all withering looks.

"What about my outfit? It's normal where I come from!"

"It's ugly," Slightly added, and all of them giggled at the, well, _childish_ joke. Boys…

"So what do we reckon we do with her gents?" Nibs asked, and they all looked down in thought as Evie felt herself pale, her eyes automatically flying back to the dagger at Nib's side. Would they really…kill her? They were just children, and she was an innocent…

At length—after several moments of Evie squirming on the ground thinking of bolting—Slightly, the obvious leader of the group of hooligans, stepped forward and pointed at her, ordering a command that had her blood chilling. "Tie her up."

Again she was caught unawares when all six children pounced, their rough little hands grabbing her wrists and bounding them together with a rope before she could react. Gasping, she strained against her restraints, throwing a glare up at the now smirking boys as they stepped back to admire their work. "Why you little-"

Her sentence was cut short when Slightly roughly pulled on the rope that he held that extended from him to her bound wrists like a leash, a tether, and she was yanked to her feet with a slight groan of pain. The little bastards had tied her hands tight!

She tried to struggle when they began to lead her off into the woods, but they all, working together, easily overthrew her, and she was taken aback by their strength, by the small but prominent muscles she saw flexing in the little arms. These boys had certainly been here for awhile!

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded as they lead her through the foliage, weaving their way through exotic plants she had never seen before. "Hey, where are you taking me!? I asked you a quest-"

"Nibs, shut her mouth!" Slightly exclaimed with a huff, and Evie could only stand there and weakly struggle as a dirty handkerchief was stuck in her mouth. Really, couldn't they have used something clean!? No one but Tootles had the couth to look ashamed by what they were doing as they led her bound and gagged onwards, trekking through dangerous territories, always moving at a fast pace.

By the time they stopped in front of what appeared to be a gigantic oak tree her mouth was dry and she was all but literally gagging on the gag, and it came to some relief when Tootles, against the wishes of his group mates, stepped forward to take the handkerchief out of her mouth. "We're here anyway guys" he lightly admonished, giving her a slight smile before backing away, allowing her to swallow and gasp for breath.

"Where is 'here' exactly?" she grumbled, and was surprised when she actually received an answer. Unfortunately, it was not one she was happy to hear.

With a gesture of his hand to the stately oak and a grin, he announced in an imperial voice the last thing she wanted to hear. "Welcome to the hideout of the Lost Boys lady! It's time for you to meet Peter Pan; he'll decide if you stay or go!"

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

_Hey, I'm sorry if the ending was abrupt or if this chapter was rushed. I'm stuck studying Advanced Topics and Algebra (fun, I know), and I really wanted to post this tonight, cuz I really like this story; it's relaxing! _

_As always, please Review, and wish me luck on that killer algebra test tomorrow, gah!_

_--Cat_


	3. Tree House

_Starlight_

_Chapter Three: The Tree House_

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything involving Peter Pan, and am writing this story for fun. _

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Evie did not know what to expect as the boys approached the tree, and could only think to try to break free of her binds. She pulled and pulled and pulled, watching with wide blue eyes the tree approach, and knowing that it meant certain death to her. Jake's words replayed in her mind,

"_If there's one thing Peter hates, its adults." _

She felt her heart sink as she glanced down to her matured body, her now dirtied white nightgown. She was definitely an adult, wasn't she? Nearly eighteen… They'd surely kill her! Her struggling began anew as they stopped directly in front of the tree, and she watched through horrified, yet curious blue eyes as Slightly, with a nod of his head, reached up to pull a nearby vine hanging down near the base of the tree.

As he tugged on it, Evie did not expect anything to happen. To her it was just a vine, and these boys, in all their clearly overactive imaginations, were under the impression that it was more.

So imagine her surprise when, as the vine was tugged, six little holes fashioned for each boy appeared in the hollow base of the tree, leading down below it in a long slide. Evie gaped in shock, forgetting to struggle as she was pulled towards the largest of the holes, her mind still trying to wrap around the idea. A house underneath a tree? Holes leading to it? It was absolutely—

"Send her down!"

…What?

Evie's eyes widened just before she was shoved harshly in the back, and she found herself, with a scream, tumbling down onto the slide, her scream echoing behind her as she fell faster and faster down it, seeing only flashes of branches and darkness as she was twisted around, falling, falling, falling…

With another tiny scream she hit the ground with a force that she was sure would make her rump hurt in the morning, her eyes till wide opened and body tensed as she stared for a moment or two at the dirt ground in front of her, trying to get her bearings.

Behind her she could hear the whoops and thuds of the boys as they landed on their feet behind her, one nearly crashing into her with their feet. Recovering with a gasp, Evie jerked herself to her feet before the boys had a chance to manhandle her again, taking in with wide eyes the odd makeshift house she had abruptly fallen into.

The walls, as expected, were made of the tree, and the dirt was strewn with dirt and pine needles. The ceiling, when she looked up, was a mass of intertwining branches that leaked small droplets of sap, which dribbled to the ground only to be caught in aged and chipped pottery bowls. There were six little beds to one side of the room, and an old, striped curtain hung from sticks fastened into rods around the bed to allow privacy. A large table made of wood was directly in front of her, laden with fruits of all kinds—including some she had never seen before—and wooden bowls and cups. A huge fireplace, along with two big chairs, were at the far end of the room, a fire dancing merrily in the hearth, making Evie think that maybe, one day, the house-tree would burn down. Fire did not take kindly to wood after all. By the fire clothes were strung up above it on more sticks in a makeshift clothes line, little shorts and shirts alike warming in the fire's light. The whole other side of the room was sectioned off by another large striped curtain, making Evie glad; she had seen too much, and already her senses were overloaded.

And at the foot of the large wood table, opposite from where she was, sat a throne of bark and leaves that interweaved to create an elaborate design that left her breathless. And, in the center of that magnificent throne of wood and leaves, frowning darkly at her, was a blonde hair, blue eyed boy who Evie knew immediately, by the way the boys around her bowed, had to be Peter Pan. Great.

"Who is she?" Peter demanded, still keeping his sparkling blue eyes—eyes that sparkled in what Evie knew was mischief—trained on her intently.

"I don't know Peter, we just found her on the beach," Nibs stated, "Said she just woke up here, isn't that right?"

He nudged her with the butt of his wooden spear, and Evie blinked down at him, bewildered. What did he want her to say?

"I see…" Peter Pan said, and Evie's eyes snapped back to him as he stood from his throne, revealing his elaborate outfit of leaves which covered his body from his knees to his left shoulder. Immediately, at the sight of the outfit, her tongue got away from her.

"That outfit is so cute!" she gasped, beaming, "My brother wore one just like it a few years ago! He was a wild—"

She was silenced as Peter Pan, before she could even blink, pressed a knife to her throat, and her eyes widened in fear and shock when she looked down and noticed that Peter was floating.

So Jake had been right about the flying and the pixie dust and… She felt like hyperventilating.

"Silence, wrench!" Peter barked at her, and she found a scowl twisting at her lips as she stared into his blazing blue eyes, forgetting about the knife at her jugular.

"Excuse me, just _who _the hell do you think you are?!" she glared, "You can not just—"

"I said shut up lady!" Peter groused, eyes flashing as he pressed the blade harder into her neck, nearly puncturing the skin. She fell silent, but continued to glare.

"And I know exactly who I am, and you should to! I am Peter Pan, the greatest there ever was!"

She watched as Peter's scowl melted into a self satisfied smirk, and rolled her eyes. Great, he was an egotistical jerk!

The boys around them whooped in agreement as Peter smirked in her face, moving in so that he was entirely too close to her.

"And who are you, foul grown up?"

"Foul?! Grown up!?" she glared, "I am neither of those things, Peter Pan!" She spat his name out in such a way that he blinked for a moment, startled, before recovering with a sneer on his face.

"I beg to differ, _Madame! _You're clearly older!"

"Older, but not grown up," Evie pointed out, "I'm still seventeen; not a legal adult yet."

"It doesn't matter, you're old, and ugly too! You don't deserve to be here!"

"Oh, and I suppose you and your boys do?! You _children _are savages, aren't you?"

"We ain't savages!" Nibs protested, "You don't know anything, you—"

"Nibs!" Peter said sharply, not taking his eyes off Evie, "Shut up. She's mine to handle."

Evie gulped slightly, beginning to absently shift nervously beneath the blade. "W-What are you going to do with me?"

She hoped to good that the answer was not 'murder'.

Peter seemed to consider for a second, his bright eyes screwing up as he looked briefly away from her. When he looked back, however, she could tell by the dark, devilish look on his face that whatever he was planning was not, in any way, good for her.

"We'll give her to Hook," he finally stated, "There she'll be another grown up, and I'm sure Hook needs another wench!"

Evie felt chills go through her at the name 'Hook' and immediately had the foreboding sense that he was far from a nice guy. But first, she had to ask…

"Uh, who's Hook?" Her question broke through the wild cheers of the boys, and they all turned to look at her simultaneously, grinning wickedly.

"Should we tell her, Peter?" Slightly asked.

Peter paused for a moment, looking back to meet Evie's clear eyes intently. Evie could not help but shiver at the way he was staring at her. As though he were reading her…It was much more threatening than the blade at her throat, in her wayward opinion.

Slowly Peter grinned, and she felt that shiver from before trace all through her body until she was wide eyed and pale, staring at him. The name kept repeating in her head:

Hook…

"No boys, I don't think we should tell her…"

Evie's jaw opened in horror as all the boys cheered and chuckled. Or, all of them did, that is, except for one: Tootles.

Clearing his throat softly as everyone turned to look at him, he blushed deeply and looked down at the ground muttering under his breath, "I think we should keep her."

"Why?" the young round boy that Evie did not yet know the name to exclaimed in an incredulous voice, and Tootle's blush deepened.

"Well, um… I-I really want a…"

"A what?" Peter demanded, releasing Evie, who breathed in relief, to approach Tootles and grab him by the collar, shaking him slightly. "Why Tootles? Dammit, answer Curly, why?!"

"I-I…Well, I…" Tootles, overcome, began to cry a little, large fat droplets of water falling from his kind brown eyes. As Peter let him go in disgust Evie, seeing in the small young boy the brother she had left behind, raced over to his side frantically, and instantly had him in her arms, even as the other boys around her exclaimed and cursed loudly.

"What is that wrench doing!?"

"She's touching him!"

"No, stupid, she's holding him!"

"What do we do Peter?!"

Evie, too immersed and trying to get the boy now sobbing lightly in her arms to calm down, did not notice the way Peter's eyes softened on her, the way he put his knife back in the thin strap of leather he called a belt at his waist as she whispered soothing things in the young boy's ear.

"It's ok dearest, its ok. What's your name?" she asked kindly, and Tootles, from the safety of her arms, raised his head to offer her a small smile.

"T-Tootles…"

"Tootles!" she exclaimed, trying to sound surprised, "What an odd but cute name! Tootles, Tootles, Tootles…Whoever gave you such a name?"

"I did."

She looked up at Peter as he took a step towards them, and instinctively held the young boy in her arms tighter.

"Oh, you did?" she raised a curious brow at his satisfied smirk and nod. "How did you come up with that?"

"I don't know," Peter shrugged tanned shoulders, "I just did. Suits the twerp though."

"Twerp?!" Evie scowled, "Tootles is not a twerp, he's just tiny, like…like…"

She lowered her eyes as she thought about her younger brother, in a whole different world away from her, and had to bite her lip to keep from crying herself. After a moment she raised her eyes to meet Peter's vaguely curious ones, and offered a small, weak smile.

"My brother, Jake…He's small just like Tootles. In fact, Peter…I think you might have met him."

"Jake?" Peter repeated, furrowing his brow in thought. "Jake…"

"He's small for his age, with black hair and blue eyes, just like me."

"Hmmm." He studied her for a second, sweeping his eyes over her dirtied attire and face, drawn in a worried expression, before recognition suddenly dawned. "Jumping Jake!" He exclaimed with a laugh, and around him the Lost Boys all murmured excitedly as Tootle's wiggled in her arms.

"Jumping Jake?" she frowned, "Why do you call him that?"

"Cuz he's a wussy, afraid of nearly everything that moves!" Peter laughed, and immediately Evie jumped up to defend her brother.

"This island's new to him, so it's natural for him to be afraid, ok? He hasn't grown up here like you!"

Peter's eyes flashed for a moment, before he was approaching her again, a dark scowl abruptly on his face. She did not protest as he yanked her by her arm to her feet, and Tootle's slid off her lap to hurry around her and hide.

"How do you know how long I've been here?" Peter hissed at her, eyes narrowing on her, "Are you a spy for Hook?!"

"Hook?" Evie said, bewildered, "Why, I don't even know who this Hook fellow is! Why would I be—"

"Peter, don't listen to her!" Nibs spoke up, glowering at Evie. "She doesn't know how she got here, and neither do Hook or any of his men! She has to be from Hook, she has to be!"

The room was suddenly ablaze in cried of agreement as Evie, realizing her predicament, began to pale.

"B-But I'm not, I swear! Jake! Jake's my brother and—"

"You have no proof of that," Peter coldly cut her off, "You could have just seen him and—"

"Oh come on, you looked at me and saw Jake a few minutes ago! We look alike!"

"Anyone can have black hair and blue eyes," Peter replied calmly, "Admit it grown up, you have no proof. You have to be a spy for Hook!"

"But, no, I'm-"

"Tie her up!"

Evie, just like before, was quickly overwhelmed by the six boys, and soon found herself on her feet again, someone once more holding the rope around her hands, facing the holes once more. This time, Tootle's made no protest and went along with it.

"You don't expect me to climb that hole, do you?" she squeaked, staring up at it, "I'm hardly in the outfit!"

Luckily, that was not the case. Peter bypassed the holes to go to the wall in between all six of them, and by pulling a lever to the side a piece of the wall swung away to create a door that led once again into the wilderness.

Stumbling, Evie barely had time to adjust as she was led back into the light, blinking rapidly against the harsh sun as Peter led them along through the brush.

Somehow, between the stumbling and tripping, Evie managed to ask the all important question.

"Where are you taking me?"

No one paused, and no one responded for a long moment. They continued to march ahead as she was pulled along after them, straining uselessly against her bonds as her mind filled with dreadful thoughts. Were they going to kill her? Feed her to the crocodiles? She could barely guess…

It wasn't until they reached the beach and the soft sand sunk between her toes did they stop, and she lifted her eyes to look out at the glorious blue ocean, for a moment forgetting her predicament as she was swept away in the beauty of the scene. She was abruptly brought back to reality however when Peter flew—literally flew—in front of her, making her shriek slightly and step back, causing the boys to snicker at her expense.

She glared at Peter when he grabbed her chin and forced her to turn her head so that she was staring out across the water, to a large ship floating on it. Blinking in surprise, her eyes scanned the ship…And rested on the skull and cross bone flag flying on its rear mass. She felt herself pale. A pirate ship…

Peter turned her spinning head back to his with a big grin on his face, and in a voice heavy with glee announced her doom.

"There it is, the pirate ship you belong on!"

Evie could only just resist the urge to faint.

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

_Hello again, this story is back in motion! Sorry for those who wanted me to update sooner, I have been swamped with work over the last two months, and have only just now to update everything. _

_So, I hope you liked this chapter and please leave a review, because if I don't get a lot of feedback, how am I going to have the motivation to write more? So review, please! _


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